


Wildest Dreams

by swanprincess



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Banter, Blow Jobs, Crushes, Cunnilingus, F/M, Fight Sex, Hate Sex, Jealousy, Oral Sex, Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot, Porn With Plot, Semi-Public Sex, Sex, Shameless Smut, Smut, Vaginal Sex, Wall Sex
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-02
Updated: 2021-02-25
Packaged: 2021-03-08 01:14:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 15,998
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26767102
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/swanprincess/pseuds/swanprincess
Summary: set after "The Chase" except when Iroh gets hurt Katara insists on the Gaang staying with him and Zuko to helpalso chapters with * in the title have smut
Relationships: Katara/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 157





	1. *heaven can't help us now

**Author's Note:**

> sorry if you've been reading and this is confusing, i started this as a series bc i was just gonna do a few but now i have a lot more to say so combining it all in one work to make more sense!

Uncle was resting by the fire, with the water tribe boy, the Avatar, and the little earthbender girl, trading jokes. At this point, Zuko knew all of their names, of course, but he tried not to use them, even in his head. The names would make him feel more connected to these people, make him feel even more conflicted about trying to capture the Avatar when he and his friends helped Zuko and Iroh, and that could only distract him from his destiny.

The water tribe girl who had saved his uncle was down by the river a ways away, practicing bending moves. He could barely see her in the fading light. Once it had been clear that his uncle would live, she had stalked away from the group, scowling. The Avatar had started after her, but the water tribe boy stopped him.

“You know how she gets, we should just leave her alone for a while so we don’t get our heads bitten off.” He’d told the younger boy. The little girl had snorted at that and flopped down by the fire.

“You don’t have to tell me twice!” With that, she began picking her toes. Zuko scrunched his nose up with disgust.

After apparently “pestering” Uncle with his “worrying,” Zuko had stalked off as well. Iroh was fine, but the children were insisting that he stay overnight, since it was already so dark. If Zuko didn’t owe them for saving his uncle, now would be the perfect moment to strike. Ignoring, of course, his uncle’s weakened state and the fact that they were outnumbered two to one. And Uncle seemed happy around them, which Zuko didn’t quite understand. How could he laugh with these people? Didn’t he remember they were the enemy?

Zuko paced away from the camp, and found himself watching the waterbender. She moved gracefully, with her eyes closed, and it almost seemed like she was meditating, the rise and fall of her chest was even and regular. Usually whenever he saw her bend he had to duck a blow, and taking in the sight of her for once was breathtaking.

She was beautiful. It wasn’t the first time he had thought it, but it was the first time he’d been able to take in her appearance for so long without a frown twisting her pretty features. Instead her full lips were in a small pout, and he tried not to imagine what they would feel like against his own. Her cheeks were flushed with exertion, and the moonlight reflected off the water droplets that had settled in her hair, giving her an ethereal glow. _She looks like a water spirit, like the Painted Lady._ Zuko thought to himself, remembering the legend. He was brought out of his reverie by a stream of water to the face.

“Hey!” He spluttered, shaking his head like a polar-dog to dry himself off. When he looked up, she was glaring at him, with a circle of water orbiting her. The moonlight reflecting off it added to her unearthly glow, and a chill went down Zuko’s back, from both the beautiful picture she made, and the knowledge that she would use that water against him the moment he offended her.

“Stop spying on me!” The girl snapped at him. He glared back at her indignantly.

“I wasn’t _spying_ on you! I was looking for you to thank you. For saving my uncle.” It wasn’t a complete lie, which made it easier to sell. She didn’t look convinced.

“I wouldn’t turn my back on someone who needed my help.” She snarled at him, as though his thank you was an insult. He knew she meant the statement as a slap in the face to him, an implication that he _would_ leave someone needy behind.

“I never said you would! Can’t you just accept my thank you like a normal person?” He bristled. His inner flame was getting hotter, and he could feel the residual water on him steaming off. She only looked madder now.

“Oh, I’m _so sorry_ your royal highness, I guess us Water Tribe savages just aren’t civilized enough to-”

“I never called you a savage!’ He protested.

“No, _peasant_ I think was the word you used!” The water she was still holding hardened to icicles, and Zuko was dazzled by their brilliance, and the sheer raw power she was displaying. _She remembered my exact words?_ He felt a brief sting of regret, if she remembered that, that probably meant he had hurt her feelings. _Why did he care if he hurt her feelings?_

“If you remember so well, you should recall I was talking to your brother when I said that, not you.” He sneered, to cover up his embarrassing softness.

“How is that better?” She demanded, throwing an icicle that whizzed past his head. He knew she didn’t have to miss.

He didn’t know how what he said helped things at all, so he slipped into what was comfortable between them: he kicked a fireball in her general direction. He thought he saw a smirk of satisfaction on her face, and then the battle was on.

* * *

Katara was angry. Angry at Azula, for attacking them. Angry at Zuko, for being such a dick to her about helping his uncle. And angry at herself, for even helping the man in the first place. What was _wrong_ with her? He was the enemy! Not only was he from the Fire Nation, he was a general! Brother to the Fire Lord!

Once she did all she could and she knew the old man would be okay, she stalked off to clear her head, far enough that she couldn't hear their talk and shouts of laughter anymore. She wondered if anyone would come after her, but figured Sokka would warn them off. She had a lot of rage to work through, and even her brother only knew the half of it.

Katara felt like she was losing her mind. Over the last few months, ever since Zuko had 'saved her from the pirates,' he’d begun to appear to her in her dreams. At first he was chasing her, which wouldn’t have been too odd except for how her dream-self responded. Instead of standing her ground and fighting, she’d given a girlish squeal and flounced away, just barely out of his reach. It was even worse when she let him catch her, and he kissed her. What was _wrong_ with her subconscious? He was her enemy! She wasn’t supposed to be dreaming about kissing him! She hated the Fire Nation, and she hated him. Even if he _had_ somehow managed to ignite a fire in her belly, just with his proximity. She wasn’t afraid of him, but her heart raced every time she caught sight of him. It had to just be adrenaline, right?

She was trying her best not to imagine his hands on her again, his warm hands pressing against her skin, when she heard footsteps approaching her. When no one spoke to announce their presence, she opened her eyes ever so slightly, enough to just barely see who it was. The odd wanting feeling gripped her stomach tighter when she saw it was _him._

 _Stupid, hot Zuko with his stupid, hot scowl._ He wasn’t scowling now though. He was staring at her, although the combination of his scar and the moon illuminating his alabaster skin- and her mostly shut eyes- made it difficult for her to make out his expression.

He looked even more attractive than normal, with the moon highlighting his delicate cheekbones. She was glad he had gotten rid of that stupid ponytail, this haircut suited him much better.

Katara flushed at her own thoughts, and drenched him with a stream of water to make herself feel better. It worked, a little.

“Hey!” The soaked look made him look silly for a moment, but once he rose to her bait and started snapping back at her, the water started steaming off, and a hot coil formed in her stomach. _What was wrong with her? Why did she find that so incredibly attractive?_

She was momentarily elated when he finally shot a fireball back at her- it was weak though, and easily blocked. She wondered if he was going easy on her, and that just made her madder. The fight was reminiscent of their past fights, although she had a feeling they were both being more careful this time. She didn’t _really_ want to hurt him, and that infuriated her. _What the fuck was wrong with her?_

With a frustrated cry, Katara threw herself bodily at him. She caught him off guard, and managed to knock him to the ground. Honest surprise crossed his face for a moment, but he quickly recovered. She had been foolish to bring it to wrestling, he was so clearly stronger than her. Once he got over his surprise, it was easy for him to get the upper hand, and in a heartbeat she was pinned underneath him. Their chests were pressed together, and she could feel the hard muscles of his torso through their thin shirts and she tried to wriggle out of his grip, trying her best to ignore the heat pooling in her core.

Until her dying day, Katara would maintain that she had no idea how what happened next happened. She would insist that she wasn’t sure which of them moved first. Katara would never admit that she initiated the kiss.

It was hard, passionate, just a different type of fighting, she told herself. Another kind of battle for dominance between them. Their teeth clacked together with the desperation of it, and she bit his lip, eliciting a moan from him that went straight to her core.

His lips seared her skin, and she was feeling much too overheated when his lips moved to her cheeks, her throat, her collarbone. The heat was probably why they started shedding their clothing, she wildly reasoned as she tugged his tunic, indicating that she wanted him to pull it over his head. He immediately obeyed, and she felt slightly awestruck at the look of his bare chest. He was lean, but his muscles were clearly defined, as though he’d been sculpted from marble. Of _course_ he was perfect looking. She tried to force herself to be annoyed at him, and when that failed, she rolled them over so she was on top, straddling his waist.

She tore her shirt off, throwing it somewhere, desperate for the night air to cool her fevered skin so she could think rationally again. Before it could work, she got distracted by the sight of his quickened pulse at the crux of his shoulder and neck, and bent down to feel his pulse against her lips, to nip and suck at it. He smelled like spices she wasn’t familiar with, and tasted like salty sweat, and Katara could not get enough. His warm hands were gliding up and down her torso, feeling even better than they had in her wildest dreams.

She sighed when she felt his warm hands on her bare breasts- he must have undone her bindings when she was busy marking him- and couldn’t keep a groan from escaping her mouth when his nimble fingers pinched at her nipples. She could feel the slick wet of _want_ in her underclothes, and beneath her she felt something hard pressed against her thigh. Unable to help herself, she grinded her hips against him, thrilling at the feel of him against her core.

“Katara.” He choked out, sliding a hand between them. She was dismayed for a moment, thinking that he was pushing her away, but then those deft fingers of his were on her leggings, brushing against her sensitive core through the material.

“Oh!” She moaned, breathlessly. His golden eyes flashed at the sound, and he flipped them over, taking dominance for himself once more. He tugged lightly at her remaining clothes, and she eagerly wiggled out of them, leaving herself bare beneath him. Needing to steal back some power for herself, she reached up and pulled him down to her, crashing her mouth against his once more. His hair was just barely long enough to for her pull, but he moaned into her mouth when she did.

But then his fingers were between her legs, tracing the outline of her slit in a way that sent goosebumps over her entire body. When he pressed two fingers inside of her, she couldn’t help but cry out his name.

The overly smug look on his face at that brought her back to her senses, and even though his fingers pumping in and out of her were _extremely_ distracting and felt incredible, she could not let him have the upper hand. She reached her right hand up and wrapped her fingers around his hard cock, through the pants that he still for some reason wore. He grunted at the feeling, and she explored the weight of him in her hand. She found she rather liked it. For a while they rutted into each other’s hands, nipping at each other’s collarbones, leaving small bruises where they would be covered by clothing, but soon Katara needed _more_.

“Off.” She murmured. His insistent weight was gone from her immediately, and the cool night air made her shiver. He looked down at her with wide eyes, the gold slightly glassy.

“No, not- I meant your pants.” His swollen lips fell open in an alluring way as if he was going to say something, but then he was wiggling out of his pants, just like she had asked.

She was dazed, but she took charge, lightly pushing him with one hand on his chest so he laid flat on his back, and straddling his waist. She slid her wet core over his hard member, and he moaned her name.

“Zuko-” She gasped out, unable to find the words she wanted. He understood, and guided his cock into her soaking core. The sensation was unlike anything she had ever felt before. She felt stretched, and full, and _oh this was delicious_. She managed to bounce up and down a few times, but her legs felt like jelly, and soon he was flipping them over, so he was holding his body weight above her once more.

The feel of him pounding into her was too much, the way he moaned her name, the dark look in his golden eyes- Katara wrapped a leg about his waist, holding him to her and bucking her hips wildly against his. All she could focus on was his weight pressing down on her, the heat of his body, the way he fit so _well_ into her.

“Zuko!” She cried out. She closed her eyes, letting a wave of ecstasy wash over her. She had yet to return to earth when he pulled out of her with a strangled moan, spilling hot ropes of cum across her belly, some of it spraying onto her breasts.

He collapsed next to her, panting to catch his breath. She noticed he couldn’t quite take his eyes off of the mess he’d made of her stomach, and she wondered if he was admiring the contrast of his white cum against her dark skin as much as she was.

It took a few moments, but soon enough she caught her breath and rational thought returned to her. She had just fucked Zuko. The boy who’d been chasing them halfway around the world. _Zuko._ She waited for regret to sink in, but it didn’t. She stole a sidelong look at him, but he was still worlds away.

Katara had just fucked Zuko, and it had been _amazing_.

She had to get out of there before she did it again.

She rose abruptly, bending a handful of water to wash the evidence of their coupling from her stomach. She got dressed quickly, not trusting herself to look at him, not when she knew he was still in all his naked glory. Thankfully, he didn't say anything, or try to stop her. Without saying another word, Katara walked away from the boy, a slight hitch in her step the only outward indication that anything had happened at all.

All Katara could see when she closed her eyes to sleep that night was his face, mouthing her name.


	2. *this slope is treacherous

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay also i switched the titles of the first few chapters because i think it makes more sense this way so if you've read them as the stand alones and are confused i'm sorry!! also damn you pay attention

Zuko could not get that damn waterbender out of his head. After what was quite probably the strangest evening of his life (he was not complaining), she had sauntered back to the camp, and hardly said anything to him before they took off on their flying bison the next day. In fact, the only thing she _did_ say directly to him was a threat not to follow them. The low tone of her voice when she said it had quite an effect on Zuko, and he could hardly manage to keep the flush from rising on his cheeks as he scowled and agreed to give them a head start.

He thought Uncle might have an idea that something happened, or at the very least that Zuko found Katara attractive, given the sly looks and odd things the old man kept saying to him, but he never said anything outright, and Zuko never gave more information. Besides, Uncle was always saying weird riddles, that didn’t necessarily mean he _knew_.

She haunted his dreams. Night after night he remembered the ferocity of her kiss, the taste of her tongue, the unyielding warmth of her mouth on his. The moment her lips touched his, he would have done anything she said. It was pathetic, but she seemed just as much a slave to her body as he was to his. She must be, otherwise how in the hell could what happened between them have happened? It was no secret that she hated him.

Hardly a night went by without her making an appearance in his dreams. Katara, on top of him, breasts bouncing as she rode him, her core mind-numbingly tight around his cock. Katara, beneath him, trembling with pleasure and moaning his name. Katara, panting, wearing nothing but a dazed expression and his cum splattered on her stomach.

He woke up night after night, taking himself in hand and remembering every detail of her. Her breathy moans, her wide, lustful eyes, the curve of her ass that he only barely saw as she walked away from him. He could never make himself feel quite as good as she had made him feel. The pleasure he had felt with her was otherworldly.

He wanted her again.

He _needed_ her again.

He wondered what would happen if he ever saw her again. Would she act like nothing had ever happened between them? Probably. Sometimes it almost felt like he had imagined the night entirely. But in his wildest dreams, he allowed himself to fantasize that she would jump back into his arms, kiss him with the same fire as before. He wanted her to want him as much as he wanted her.

* * *

Katara was a mess. Not outwardly, of course. On the outside, she still took care of everyone, she cooked and cleaned and bossed everyone around just like normal. Only Toph seemed to notice that anything was off- she made a snide comment or two about heart rates that night they spent with Zuko and Iroh- but even she didn’t seem to understand the full extent of Katara’s mental lapse.

Because that’s what it had to be, right? Something wrong with her brain. Something temporary, hopefully, that made her lust after the man who was supposed to be her enemy. She wondered when it would right itself. The rational part of her hoped it would be soon. The irrational part of her reveled in her dreams far too much.

Even though it had been weeks since she... since _that night_ she could still feel the ghost of his hands on her body like it was yesterday. She’d wake up in the middle of the night, swearing she’d just heard him moan her name in her ear. She dreamt of his warm hands on her breasts, pinching her nipples and making her moan. His fingers had been magical, exciting her, making her want like nothing ever had before. But even his fingers hadn’t driven her quite as crazy as his cock, the way it had filled her so she thought she might burst, explode in her ecstasy. Katara would wake up wet and wanting, and trace her own slim fingers down her body, teasing her wet entrance and circling her clit, rubbing herself in quick circles until she came with a quiet sigh- nothing like the moan he’d torn from her lips.

She remembered the dazed expression on his face afterward, like he wasn’t completely sure what had just happened was real, or if it might have just been a good dream. The more time passed, the less sure she was herself. She hadn’t known how to deal with it afterwards, so she’d just acted as though nothing had happened, and he’d seemed more than happy to play along. That was probably for the best. She wondered if he dreamed of her like this, if he ever woke up with an itch he couldn’t quite scratch, the way she did. Katara must be insane, because even though she _hated_ Zuko, she wanted him. Badly.

So badly, apparently, that she had gone completely nuts and was now hallucinating him in the middle of the crowded Ba Sing Se marketplace.

After training with Aang that morning, she’d decided to do some shopping to clear her mind. It worked for Sokka, so who’s to say it wouldn’t work for her as well? Two of the Dai Li agents that Joo Dee had insisted “protect them” followed her though, much to her annoyance. It was probably to ensure she didn’t say anything to anyone else about the war going on outside of the walls.

Whatever the reason, it was easy enough for Katara to give them the slip. The earthy green clothing they’d been given helped her blend in with the crowd, and it was a nice light material that made flitting about the crowds easy. To make sure they didn’t find her until she was good and ready, she’d snuck down to the lower ring, since she assumed it was the last place they would look for her. So far, it seemed as though she was right.

She was browsing the fruit stands, taking in the exotic fruits she hadn’t seen before, when she thought she saw him. He had a box in his hands, and was eyeing the papayas just a few feet to her right.

She blinked in surprise, expecting to open her eyes and discover that it was just another attractive boy, that the scar she thought she saw was just a trick of the light. But then she was stunned to realize she wasn’t imagining things, that she really was looking at the Fire Nation prince. Her heart skipped a beat when he turned as though he felt her staring, and his amber eyes met hers.

And then she was moving towards him, barely noticing anyone in the crowd around her, barely even conscious of her own movement, drawn to him like a moth to a flame.

* * *

When he saw her again, her mouth was in a little “o” of shock. She was just as beautiful as he remembered, although for a moment the dark green she was swathed in made it difficult to recognize her. He was sure he had imagined her at first, and only had a moment to take her in before she was heading towards him, quickly closing the space between them and wrapping her hand around his bicep. She kept going past him, dragging him out of the bazaar and down a nearby alley. There were several crates crowding the alley that she pulled him down, blocking the market from view, and the buildings on either side of them were windowless. Once they were alone, she released his arm and whirled on him. She was several inches shorter than him, but still somehow managed to get in his face.

“What are you doing here?” She hissed up at him. The shock was gone from her face, replaced with irritation. Her hands were on her hips, drawing his attention to their soft swell. He swallowed hard, shook himself, and forced a scowl onto his face.

“Buying tea.” He held up the box that Uncle had sent him to buy. “Is that a crime now?” He quirked an eyebrow at her, and her scowl deepened. She pushed the hand brandishing the tea aside.

“I _meant_ in Ba Sing Se. Did you follow us here?” She demanded, eyeing him suspiciously, hands on her hips. Her curved hips, that were hugged just so by her dress. He swallowed and held up his hands.

“No, I- it’s complicated, but Uncle and I aren’t chasing the Avatar anymore. We came here as refugees a few weeks ago.” He explained. Then he took another look at her, letting his eyes roam over her body.

“What are _you_ doing in the lower ring? I can’t imagine the Avatar’s waterbender is supposed to be slumming it with the rest of us.” Her clothes were just a bit too nice for her to be in this part of town. If she were anyone else, he would have thought it dangerous, that she was putting a target on her back. He could only imagine what she would do to him if he said that though. And besides, why should he care?

Her eyes glinted with anger at his dig, and Zuko felt a jolt of desire as a flush rose on her cheeks, the rosy tone complementing her tan skin beautifully.

“I’m not 'the Avatar’s waterbender', I’m Aang’s teacher, you prick. And I was _trying_ to enjoy a day of shopping when _you_ turned up!” She snarled.

“I seem to remember you being the one who dragged us down this alley.” He shot back. She smirked.

“As much as I’d love to kick your ass in public, the market was too crowded and I didn’t want anyone else getting hurt.” He gestured to the empty alley around them. The crates hid them from view, and judging by the amount of dust on them, they weren’t about to be looked for anytime soon.

“So you took us somewhere private? You realize I can’t firebend in public in this city. I _could_ do it here though, with no one around. And I thought you were supposed to be the smart one in your little group.” He had no idea why he was talking about fighting her when all he wanted to do was kiss her, but the words wouldn’t stop pouring out of his mouth. It was a good deflection, he supposed, if she didn’t want to kiss him again. Although now that he thought of it, fighting with each other was the way they’d fallen into bed together the first time...

“I thought I’d at least give you a fighting chance. I’m nothing if not fair.” She put a hand on the waterskin at her side, but didn’t uncork it yet.

“Last time it took a blizzard for you to beat me.” He taunted her. Katara’s eyes flashed, and she shoved him, seemingly forgetting about the water. She caught him by surprise, and the box of tea clattered to the ground when his back hit the wall. Zuko recovered and moved quickly, grabbing her right wrist- she seemed to use that hand more for bending- and putting his other hand on her hip. In a moment he’d reversed their positions, and she was the one pinned to the wall.

“Did you forget what happened the last time you tried to wrestle me?” He asked her, leaning down closer than was absolutely necessary. Her face was just inches from his, and he was unable to keep his gaze from blatantly dropping to her full lips now. He wanted nothing more than to kiss her, to take her in his arms and ravish her. He fought to banish the thought.

“I didn't forget.” Katara’s murmur made Zuko meet her eyes once more, sure he’d imagined the lusty tone of her voice. And then her free hand was at the nape of his neck, dragging him the final distance down to her lips. His fingers tightened on her hip when her tongue flicked across his lips, and he parted them with a small sigh.

Zuko released her wrist to bury his hand in her thick hair, and she used the freedom to rest her palm on his waist, rubbing small circles on his stomach with her thumb. He wasn’t quite sure when she had untied his outer tunic, but it was loose around him, and only his thin undertunic kept her warm hand from his bare skin.

He kissed her ravenously. She hardly ever left his mind since the last time, but his memories hadn’t done her justice. His inner flame sang in his veins at her touch, and he thought her hands must be leaving a visible trail everywhere they traced over him- tangled in his hair, grasping his shoulder, pushing up his shirt to explore his bare torso. Matching her motions, he fumbled at the ties to her dress, and she took his momentary distraction to break their kiss, trailing instead down his jawline, nipping hungrily at a spot on his collarbone that she’d uncovered when she’d pushed his tunic aside.

Finally her dress fell open, and he moved his hand from her hair to her breasts, not bothering to undo her bindings. He could feel her hard nipples through the fabric, and skimmed his thumb over one. He could have sworn he heard her sigh his name, but repeating the motion didn’t elicit the same response. He’d just have to do something else that would.

He kept one hand on her breast, teasing her nipple with his thumb and trailed his other hand down her ribcage, across her stomach, into her underclothes. She was so wet for him, and he felt himself get even harder, his arousal pressed tight against her hip.

He moved his hand from her hip to grab her ass and pulled her roughly against him, and she moaned into his mouth, her nails scraping his abdomen slightly as she slipped her hand down and hooked her fingers around his waistband. Lust was making him bold, but she didn’t seem to mind. He delved a finger into her, reveling in the feel of her tight heat, in the sound of her strangled moan. She was frozen for a moment, and he stopped, afraid he’d crossed a line, but then her hand was palming him through his trousers, and she was pressing her core into his hand.

Her other hand was at the nape of his neck again, and she pulled him into a deep kiss that was mostly tongues and teeth and desperation. He drew his finger out of her, circling her nub in the way he’d found made her moan the last time. Katara slipped her hand into his pants, wrapping her hand around his hard cock and moving up and down at a torturously slow pace.

He needed more. He needed _her_ pressed tight against him. Gently batting her hand off of him, he wrapped his arm about her waist and lifted, pinning her to the wall with his body. She made a surprised noise when he first picked her up, but quickly recovered, gripping his shoulders to support herself and wrapping her legs about his waist. Now his arousal was pressed against her core, separated only by their thin clothing, and she ground her hips against him. Zuko buried his face in the crook of her neck, laving kisses there so she couldn’t see the need that he was sure was clear on his face.

But then Katara’s hand was on his shoulder, pushing him back so she could meet his gaze. Her wide eyes were clouded with lust, and her lips were slightly swollen from all their kisses. The image made even more blood rush to his cock.

“Zuko,” she gasped out, “fuck me.” He wasn’t sure if she was begging or commanding, but either way he was more than happy to obey. She reached between them and freed his cock from its cloth prison, and, pushing her underclothes to the side, he buried himself within her heat.

“Fuck Katara.” He murmured, incapable of focusing on anything but the impossibly tight feel of her around him. She moaned in response, and bucked her hips against his. Her underskirt was shoved up about her waist, and he slipped his hand underneath it to squeeze her round, perfect ass. She let out a light gasp when he did, and her grip on the hair at the nape of his neck tightened. He thrust into her, each time eliciting a little gasp or cry from her. He had one arm braced against the wall, but moved it to her breasts, teasing and pinching her nipples through the bindings that he still hadn’t bothered to remove. Zuko turned his eyes to her face, her gorgeous face, and almost fell apart right then and there. She was practically glowing, her blue eyes dazzling as they took him in, her bright lip caught between her teeth. He thrust into her more roughly than he’d meant to, and she rewarded him with a cry of pleasure, her mouth falling open.

“Zuk- _oh_!” He gave her a hard kiss, and did his best to keep his own orgasm at bay as she came apart in his arms, her cunt throbbing around his cock.

“Oh _fuck_.” Clearly he hadn’t been paying enough attention last time, because the look of pure bliss on her face was unforgettable. “Katara.” He managed to pull out of her just in time, and spilled his load on her stomach once more. When he was done, he leaned his forehead on the wall behind her, trying to catch his breath. He hardly even realized he was still holding her up until she patted his back.

“Zuko.” She murmured. “Put me down.”

Zuko obeyed, lowering her so her feet touched the ground, and catching her a moment later when her knees gave out. She flushed furiously, but he couldn’t help but feel proud. He’d recovered enough to fix his clothing, and tried to surreptitiously watch her from the corner of his eye. His cover was blown when he saw her bend his cum from where it had spattered on her stomach and clothes.

“I didn’t realize waterbenders could cum-bend.” He snickered. Katara flashed him a smirk.

“Neither did I. Something to keep in mind.” He opened his mouth to respond, but closed it just as fast. _To keep in mind? Implying this wouldn’t be the last encounter of this nature that they would have?_ His heart leapt at the thought.

“I guess it is.” He said lamely, his brain still moving much too slowly to think of anything clever. Katara finished dressing before him, and started off down the alley away from him. She hesitated after a few steps, but shook her head and was off before he could think of something to say to her. He wondered if she was going to tell him it was all a mistake, and that it would never happen again. Once was a mistake, twice was becoming a pattern… right?

That night in bed, Zuko was doing his best not to think about her. She could be anywhere in this big city, and there was no reason she’d want to find _him_ in it ever again. At least, that was what he told himself to keep from getting his hopes up. He rubbed his face in frustration, and froze. The musky scent of her wet pussy still clung to his fingers, and he inhaled the heavenly scent deeply. Blood rushed to his cock, and images of that afternoon that he’d just barely been able to keep at bay flooded his brain.

 _Damn waterbender_. He thought fondly, conjuring up the image of her face as she fell apart and taking himself in hand.


	3. *so bad but we do it so well

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> obvi had to have her find him at the tea shop

Katara was _not_ looking for Zuko. She was... just wandering around in the Lower Ring for a change of scenery. Her training session with Aang had left her buzzing with energy, and she needed a good way to burn it, so she was exploring all over the city. Walking was great exercise. That was all.

And if her feet _just so happened_ to take her to the same market square where she’d bumped into Zuko before, that was pure coincidence. It had nothing to do with her daydreaming about that afternoon nonstop for the past week. The blush on her cheeks when she passed by that alley was certainly from the heat, not the memory of Zuko’s muscular arms lifting her up, holding her against the wall as he thrust into her...

 _He’s so strong._ She remembered dreamily. He’d held her up like she weighed nothing. A pleasurable shiver went through her at the memory. It was still incredibly embarrassing that she was lusting after the Fire Nation prince who had hunted them, but she couldn’t help herself. She thought she had it bad after the first time, but after the second time, her desire- her _need_ \- for him was so much worse. It consumed her. Every time she let her mind wander from whatever the task at hand was, she found herself thinking of his flashing golden eyes, his muscular biceps, the hard muscles of his abdomen.

She sighed. The sun would be setting soon, and she should be heading back home. But she’d heard a few soldiers talking about “the best tea in Ba Sing Se” and headed to the teashop they were discussing. At least it would give her something to do other than lusting after Zuko and pointedly ignoring Aang’s adoring gaze. She’d have to do something about that eventually, but was putting it off as long as possible.

The tea shop looked very nondescript from the outside, but the men had been very enthusiastic with their praise… Katara shrugged and entered, the bell on the door tinkling to announce her arrival.

She scanned the small room for an open table, and froze when her eyes fell on a very familiar face. His mouth was pressed in a scowl, as usual, as he- _took peoples’ orders_? Did Zuko… have a job? She heard a jovial laugh from the back of the tea shop, and caught sight of his uncle preparing tea. _What the fuck_.

* * *

Jin was at her regular seat in the shop, hoping to be able to talk to Lee. She knew his shift was ending any minute, and was determined to ask him to go on a date with her after. Sure, all she ever managed to get out of him was standard server talk, but maybe he was just shy. He was too cute to not at least _try_ to shoot her shot.

As Jin was about to get up to pay her bill and enact her plan, the bell tinkled and a pretty girl about her age came into the tea shop. The moment she caught sight of Lee, her mouth fell open, and a light flush rose on her cheeks. Jin gave her a sympathetic look.

“He’s super cute, right?” She spoke up from her table near the entrance. The girl started at the sound of her voice and shut her mouth, then turned her face to her, cheeks still flaming slightly.

“Um, what did you say?” She asked. Her striking blue eyes only fixed on Jin for a moment before flicking back to Lee.

“Lee?” Jin gestured to where he was, taking off his apron across the shop in preparation to leave. “He’s super cute.” The girl’s face flushed, and the rosy blossom highlighted her cheekbones prettily. Before she could respond though, Lee caught sight of the girl and strode over to her.

“ _Katara_?” It was difficult to truly read Lee’s expression, but it looked to Jin like he couldn’t quite believe she was really there, and couldn’t decide if he was happy or worried if she was. “What are you doing here?” The question was just a bit too sharp.

The pretty girl crossed her arms and adopted a neutral expression. Well, almost neutral. A hint of blush lingered on her cheeks. Before she could respond though, Lee reached her and grabbed her arm, pulling her out of the shop. What was most surprising about the move was that Katara didn’t look in any way shocked at his manhandling her. In fact, she looked… _pleased_ was the best word Jin could come up with for her expression.

“I heard it was the best tea in Ba Sing Se.” Jin heard her respond in a sweetly innocent voice before the door shut behind them. The pair crossed the street, and stopped in the entrance of an alleyway. Jin examined their body language, trying to figure out what they were to each other. Maybe she was his not-so-distant ex? Their touches were somehow both familiar and halting, and Jin felt almost embarrassed watching them. It seemed like they both wanted to embrace the other, but were afraid of the reaction they’d get.

She looked Katara up and down, took in the seductive smirk on her full lips, her toned figure. Then she looked at Lee, and saw the closest thing she’d seen to a smile on his flushed face, watched as he took Katara's hand and lead her down the street.

Jin sighed and walked over to Mushi to pay her bill.

_I never stood a chance._

* * *

Katara allowed Zuko to hustle her out of the tea shop and across the street into a narrow alley. She liked the heat of his hand on her arm, the closeness of his body to hers and was slightly disappointed when he released her and stepped away.

“Afraid I’ll blow your cover, _Lee_?” Having grown up with Sokka and spending the last few months with Aang, Katara was no fool. And she was pretty good at picking up a cover story on the fly.

“How did you know that’s what I’m called here?” He asked, his brow furrowed. Katara leaned against the alley wall and shrugged.

“That girl told me.” He crossed his arms and quirked an eyebrow.

“What girl?”

“The one by the door? She has a crush on you.” She wasn’t quite sure why she said that, or why the girl talking about how _cute_ “Lee” was gave her such a weird feeling in her stomach. Anyone could see that he was attractive, people didn’t have to go around blabbing about it all the time.

Zuko just looked baffled at her statement, and Katara rolled her eyes. Boys were so dumb.

“Anyways, I didn’t know you worked in a tea shop. Is that what you were getting the tea for, last time I saw you?” His face flushed at the mention of the last time they saw each other, and Katara felt her cheeks heat as well. Zuko rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, bringing Katara’s attention back to his muscular arms- the main subject of her daydreams these past few days- and she bit her lip in an attempt to ground herself. The alley was narrow enough that she could feel his body heat, even pressed against the opposite wall as she was. It was more distracting than she cared to admit, and she could hardly focus on his words as he told her he’d picked up the tea for home, that his uncle had an obsession or something.

“Home…” Katara repeated. “Is home… nearby?” She wished she didn’t sound so awkward, but her brain was hardly functioning and she couldn’t think of an excuse to fight him, to get him to touch her. So she would just have to be forward. Her cheeks heated with embarrassment, but the way Zuko swallowed hard at her words made it clear that he didn’t mind her boldness, and his lips almost turned up into a smile. He nodded and reached out his hand to her.

“I’ll show you.” His voice was huskier now, and Katara felt a thrill of exhilaration go through her when she took his hand and followed him home..

They walked quickly through the streets, not speaking as they wove through different groups of people. It was only a few minutes before he stopped in front of a door, but Katara was practically vibrating with anticipation by then. All she could think about was his lips on hers, his hands pulling off her clothes, exploring her body. It was almost too much to bear.

Zuko fumbled with the lock for a moment, but quickly had the door open and was gesturing for her to enter, following behind. The second he shut the door, she pounced on him. He must have anticipated it, because he easily caught her and pushed her against the door, pressing his lips against hers ravenously.

Kissing him was like taking a sip of water on a hot day. She felt refreshed, alive- but she needed _more_. She grasped his collar in her fist, holding him to her. She splayed her other hand against his abdomen, relishing the feel of his hard muscles through his thin shirt. She moaned into Zuko’s mouth when he tugged lightly on her hair, and his hand on the small of her back pulled her even closer against him at the sound.

Katara broke their kiss to kiss his jawline, his throat. She tugged at his shirt, loosening it to expose more of his alabaster skin, and pressed a wet kiss to his shoulder, sucking at the skin hard enough to leave a mark. No one else would be able to see it, but she wanted to leave a reminder of herself on his skin. She was seized with a sudden urge to claim him, and wanted him to see the little bruise and remember this, remember _her_.

“Katara,” Zuko moaned, “upstairs. Bed.” He pulled away from her lips, and shifted so he was behind her. His hand was hot on her back, and he moved it down her body, caressing her backside before giving her a little smack on her ass to encourage her to climb the stairs quickly. She couldn’t stop a small exclamation from escaping her, and felt her face heat as she hurried up the stairs, let him guide her to a small bedroom. In a moment she found herself on a pallet on her back, with Zuko on top of her, kissing her once more and pulling at the ties to her dress. He was bolder this time than before and she loved it. She met his enthusiasm with equal fervor, pulling at his shirt, wanting to feel the heat of his skin pressed against hers. In a moment they were both topless, his shirt and her bindings thrown somewhere, her dress pooling around her waist. Katara traced her fingers over the hard lines of his muscles, admiring the feel of them moving beneath her fingers as he shifted his weight to one arm, using the other to light a few candles around the room. The flickering light cast shadows on his face, catching the gleam in his golden eyes. He was so handsome, and his expression took Katara’s breath away.

“I didn’t get a proper look at you before.” He murmured, his voice raspy with desire. He cupped one of her breasts, flicking the nipple with his thumb, and she shivered. He bent to kiss her, softer than before, deeper. “Gorgeous.” He murmured against her lips, so quietly she wasn’t even sure he meant to say it out loud. She buried a hand in his hair and pulled him close to her, kissing him passionately. When she tugged his hair slightly he moaned into her mouth, and she smirked.

Zuko moved his lips to her jawline, to her collarbone, leaving a trail of hot kisses until he reached her breasts. Katara gasped when he bent his head, flicking her nipple with his tongue before taking it in his mouth. His warm hand found its way to her other breast, his fingers mirroring the ministrations of his tongue. She let out a loud moan, at the sensation, and felt her undergarments getting wetter and wetter. Zuko knew exactly how to touch her, how to light her nerve endings on fire. _This_ was why he’d been in her thoughts for so long. It had been all of ten minutes since she’d bumped into him, and he’d already dissolved her into a moaning mess. She let her hand wander across his back, caressing the rounded muscles, feeling the heat emanate from his skin. He removed his mouth from her breast with a quiet pop and continued his trail down her stomach, sending thrills through her body with each kiss. When he reached where her dress was pooled around her hips, he sat back on his heels, hooking his fingers under her skirt and giving her a questioning look.

 _He was right_. Katara thought idly to herself as she lifted her hips, wriggling out of her dress and undergarments with his help. _I really didn’t get a good look at him before._ The first time it had been too dark to get more than an impression that he was unfairly attractive, and the second time had been so rushed, and their clothing had been in the way besides. Now in the flickering candlelight, every line of his ripped physique was visible, the shadows cast by the light highlighting every one of his muscles. The sight of him made her breath catch in her throat. But she only had a moment to take him in before he leaned down again, pressing his lips to her inner thigh.

“What are you- _oh!_ ” He’d moved his lips from her thigh to her core, kissing the tight bundle of nerves at the apex of her thighs and all thoughts left Katara’s head. Somehow her hand found it’s way back into his hair, and she was gripping it tightly, pulling it a bit as he lapped at her wet core. She had no control over the noises that were escaping her body, but they only seemed to encourage him. Her other hand was on his shoulder, gripping it tightly, nails digging in slightly as her hips bucked with pleasure of their own accord. She was boneless beneath him, utterly at his mercy, and he was bringing her to another plane of existence. Katara had never experienced anything quite so pleasurable as this, and was heading towards the crest of a wave of pleasure quickly.

Zuko gripped her thighs, gently opening them further, spreading her bare in front of him. He licked up her lips, but focused his attention on her clit, sucking it, tonguing it with such fervor that Katara thought she might die. His hand found its way between her legs and he slipped a finger into her, then two. It was all too much. It felt too good. She felt the coil in her stomach tighten more and more, until-

“Zuko.” Katara managed to gasp out. “Oh fuck Zuko I’m gonna- you’re gonna make me- oh!” He held her hips down with a firm hand as her orgasm rocked through her, making her buck her hips against his mouth uncontrollably. Her grip in his hair tightened as her walls pulsed around his fingers, and he moaned against her core, the vibrations sending pleasant shivers through her on top of her orgasm.

When her hips stilled, Zuko finally removed his mouth from her, pressing a kiss to her lower stomach and wiping his mouth on the back of his hand before coming up to lay beside her, nuzzling his face into the crux of her shoulder and neck.

“What,” Katara panted when she returned back to Earth, “was _that_?” She felt his lips curve into a smile against her skin.

“You smell so good I just had to taste you.” He told her in way of explanation, drawing himself up once more so she could see his face. “And spirits Katara, you taste _amazing_.” His eyes were dark with lust, and Katara surged up to kiss him hard, tasted herself on his tongue. Her hand drifted down his abdomen to his cock, and she lightly squeezed him through his pants, earning a soft grunt.

“Now it’s time for me to take care of you.” She told him, hooking her fingers at the waistband of his pants and tugging gently. He eagerly pulled them off, and in a moment his erection was out, hard and proud. She wrapped her hand around the thick length and began to slowly pump up and down, but there wasn’t quite enough moisture.

She looked up to gauge his feeling and met his golden eyes, now dark with lust. The sight sent a tremble through her. Maintaining eye contact, she removed her hand from him to lick her palm, and heard his sharp intake of breath as she did so. She broke eye contact again to gaze at his cock as she slid her hand up and down its length, much easier now. She passed her thumb over the tip, eliciting a grunt from him that sent a jolt through her stomach. She loved hearing the noises he made for her.

Not stopping her ministrations, she moved to straddle him, settling her weight on his thighs. His hand automatically went to her waist, holding her there as though he was afraid she might disappear if he let go.

“Zuko.” She purred, loving the feeling of being in control after having totally lost herself to him a moment before. “I want to fuck you.”

“Spirits Katara.” He rasped, the look in his eyes now verging on desperation. “Please.” She lifted her hips and lined herself up above him, then sank down quickly. She couldn’t help but cry out in pleasure at the feeling of his large cock stretching her still sensitive pussy, and she knew a second orgasm wasn’t far away. Zuko reached up, tangling his hand in her long hair and tugging her down hard to crash their lips together. The tongues fought as their hips moved in tandem, and Katara gave a cry of pleasure when his hand moved from her hip to her breast, tweaking her nipple once more.

“So good.” She murmured, breaking their kiss and sitting up again. “You feel so good.” He followed her up, somehow managing to sit up and scoot back so his back was against the wall without breaking their connection. She bent to kiss his neck, nuzzling her face into his warm skin. His hands found her ass, caressing and kneading the flesh.

“Fuck Katara.” He murmured into her hair breathlessly. “You’re so- _fuck_.” Thrilling at the strained tremor in his voice, Katara drew herself up straight so she could look at him. Without consciously thinking, she laid her hand on his unscarred cheek, brushing her thumb over the fine cheekbone. _He really is so handsome_. He caught her wrist and held it there for a moment, their eyes meeting, and the air around them seemed to still. There was _something_ more than sex between them, Katara knew. And she didn’t know how to handle it.

Shutting her eyes to break the spell, she shifted her hand to brace against his shoulder and quickened her pace as she bounced up and down on his cock. She cried out as he hit a spot particularly deep, making her walls tighten around him.

“ _Katara._ ” He moaned. “You’re gonna make me cum.” His hand on her waist was so tight she thought it might bruise, and the thought sent another thrill of arousal through her.

“Yeah.” She panted back, unable to form words longer than a single syllable. “Good. Cum. In me.” That did it for him. With a cry of pleasure, he grasped her to him, pulling her body flush against his as he thrust roughly and sloppily into her. At the feel of his release filling her up, Katara came for the second time, not even trying to muffle a loud moan as her pussy pulsed around him, milking his cock.

After they sloppily rode out their orgasms they stilled, her forehead leaning heavily on his shoulder, his arms still wrapped around her. Eventually she detangled herself from him with a sigh, but she was still too boneless to do anything but move off him and flop down onto the bed. To her surprise, he laid beside her, his shoulder pressed against hers, watching with mild interest as she bent his hot sticky cum out of her and into the wastepaper bin nearby. She almost missed the feeling of it in her, but couldn’t risk anything. They lay in silence for a few moments still both floating on their high.

“So,” she turned to him with a grin. “Is it really the best tea shop in Ba Sing Se?” He looked puzzled for a moment, as though he had no idea what she was talking about, but then he barked out a laugh. It was the first time she’d heard him laugh, and it gave her a strange tingling feeling in her stomach. It was a nice laugh. 

“That’s what they say.” He told her. “Personally I think all tea tastes the same-”

“It does not!” She interrupted, amused. He and his uncle had only spent the one night with the Gaang, but she was sure Iroh’d be scandalized if he heard his nephew express that sentiment. Zuko gave her a sheepish grin.

“Well, anyways I’m not allowed to brew the tea.” She smiled at him, feeling oddly warm.

“Maybe I’ll actually try the tea sometime. You know, instead of being dragged out of there.” She teased. He rubbed the back of his neck, the way he always did when he was embarrassed. But then he gave her a smug look.

“You didn’t seem to mind too much.” She felt her cheeks heat, and couldn’t contain a wild giggle from escaping her lips.

“Yeah well. You made it worth my while.” He leaned forward and kissed her then, and she melted into him. When he pulled away she sighed.

“I should get back.” He swallowed and nodded.

“Sure. They might start to wonder… will they be worried you were gone so long?”

Katara shrugged.

“Who knows if they even noticed. I have until dinner before any real questions will come up.” _And then it’ll just be because they’re hungry_. She thought to herself ruefully. She dressed somewhat quickly, and it was a matter of minutes before she was out the door, waving a shy “see you” to Zuko.

She was halfway back to their house in the Upper Ring when the spell wore off. Fucking Zuko was one thing, but chatting with him? _Giggling_ with him? She rubbed her forehead. This wasn’t just lust any longer. This was a full on crush. This was dangerous.

 _Fuck_. Katara thought to herself. She already couldn’t wait until she saw him again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> we love some light jealousy


	4. i can see you standin' honey, with his arms around your body

It was nearly a week before Katara found herself in Zuko’s tea shop again. She was a bit earlier this time, and, after waving hello to Zuko, took a seat by the counter. Iroh was talking to another customer, but turned to her after a few moments.

“Good afternoon Katara, how can I help you on this lovely day?” The old man asked her, smiling brightly. He was always so warm, Katara had trouble equating him with the General Iroh she’d heard so much about. He was also in stark contrast to Zuko, who always seemed so sullen. Well, _almost_ always...

“Hello Mushi.” She repeated the name the other customer had just called him. “I heard this was where I could get the best tea in Ba Sing Se.” She smiled up at him.

“It’s true!” A nearby customer gushed. “Mushi here is a master.”

Iroh looked quite pleased, and mildly embarrassed. “You are too kind. I love making tea, and being able to do so as a profession is truly a gift. What can I get for you?”

“Whatever you recommend! I can’t say I’ve tried too many types, even with my recent travels.” There were a few herbal teas she’d grown up drinking, but running around the world with the Avatar didn’t actually have them sampling many teas. Tea required patience to brew, and Aang wasn’t quite the patient type.

“It’s good to see you’re looking well.” Katara told Iroh as he brewed her tea. “You’re not having any issues related to your injury, are you? I could always try to help if you are.”  
Iroh beamed at her.

“Oh no, no, I’m good as new thanks to you! Lee was a very good nurse after your initial help.” Zuko, who was bringing a tray back in time to hear Iroh’s comment, flushed red.

 _“Uncle!”_ He hissed. Iroh looked at him innocently.

“What? You were. You clearly took Katara’s guidance to heart.” She couldn’t help but giggle as Zuko grumbled something under his breath and walked away.

“Here you are my dear.” Iroh handed her the freshly brewed cup of tea, and she accepted it with a thank you taking a sip.

“Yum!” She said cheerfully as the fragrant tea warmed her throat and the fragrant aroma washed over her. “This really _is_ amazing tea! What kind is it?” Iroh beamed at her praise.

“It’s jasmine tea, my favorite.” He put a hand to the side of his mouth and stage-whispered. “The secret ingredient is love.” Katara saw Zuko freeze out of the corner of her eye, and blushed herself when Iroh looked between them and wink.

“Oh, uh, well, it’s delicious!” She wrapped her hands around the warm teacup and brought it up to her face to hide her blush, hoping she successfully passed the movement off as casual.

Iroh went to help another customer, and Katara was left to her own thoughts.

She liked the feel of the hot porcelain against her skin, warming her hands. Katara loved the heat. She was used to being cold, and she didn’t hate it, but there was something about being too warm that enthralled her.

She chewed her lip and sipped her tea, her eyes slipping to follow Zuko’s movements as he worked. It was odd seeing the prince who’d followed them halfway around the world with reckless abandon working customer service. The more she got to know Zuko, the more complex and confusing he became. But she was hooked on him, and determined to find out more and more.

The tea was lovely of course, but it was not why Katara came. As the minutes ticked by, her anticipation grew until her entire body was thrumming with it. Based on the way Zuko’s gaze fell on her more and more often as though he was afraid she might disappear while he finished up his duties, she wasn’t the only one.

 _Finally_ Zuko was behind the counter in front of her, untying his apron.

“I’m all finished with my duties for the day uncle. Is there anything else you need before I leave?” He directed his words to Iroh, who shook his head.

“No, thank you Lee, but enjoy your evening. I’ll be here for a while longer, I promised Minh that I’d teach her Pai Sho. I won’t be home for _quite some time_.” He emphasized the last few words, and Katara felt her cheeks heat as she handed over her money. She felt Zuko’s eyes on her, and when she glanced at him she saw that his cheeks were similarly flushed. He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

“Would you like to talk, Katara? I was thinking we could go somewhere more… private.” He asked, not quite meeting her eyes. She nodded.

“Yes, I was actually hoping I’d be able to… talk to you. Today. When you were finished working.” _Spirits could she be more awkward?_ They’d already seen each other naked multiple times, but talking to him in front of all these people just felt so embarrassing. Did everyone know what they were hinting at? Iroh’s faked innocent expression made it clear that he, at least, did.

“Bye Mushi.” She said with fake nonchalance, before hopping off of her stool and giving Zuko a small smile. When the edges of his lips curved up the slightest bit her confidence returned, and she sauntered towards the door, swishing her hips perhaps a bit more than necessary.

She relaxed further when they got outside, and she could feel the heat of his body beside her. They walked in comfortable silence for a few moments, until Katara nudged him with her shoulder.

“We can go somewhere more private? Way to be subtle.” She teased, ignoring the fact that she had been equally obvious. His cheeks flushed, but then he bristled.

“I’ll have you know there’s some lunatic who has it out for me. I haven’t seen him in a bit, and I didn’t want to wait around until he showed up. So there.” He crossed his arms.

“Why does he have it out for you?” She asked, her brow furrowed with concern. He waved a hand at her.

“Long story. Basically he’s mad I wouldn’t be friends with him. I’m not too worried about him.” He gave her a mischievous grin. “I guess I shouldn’t pretend that’s the only reason I wanted you alone.” He admitted as they turned down an alley. Katara felt a wave of lust go through her at the dark look in his eyes.

“Oh no?” She teased. “What other reason could there possibly be?”

“Why don’t I show you?” He murmured. Katara couldn’t keep an excited giggle from escaping her body before he had her pressed against the wall, his lips searing into hers. She wound her arms around his neck, pulling him even closer. His now-familiar spicy scent filled her nostrils, and she opened her mouth to his with a small sigh. She’d never experienced desire like this before. It was insane, how he set her body on fire, how much he made her want him. Based on how enthusiastically he pressed her against the wall, kissing a trail down her throat to suck lightly at her collarbone, he felt similarly. She pressed her hips against him, thrilling as she felt his hardening erection, and moved one of her hands from his neck to his back, pressing him against her.

 _“Katara?!?”_ Her eyes flew open at the sound of her name, and she and Zuko sprang apart from each other.

_Fuck._

* * *

Jet stalked the alleys, searching for Lee. He’d been sick all last week, and lost valuable time in which he  _ could _ have collected evidence against the firebender. He’d asked Smellerbee if she had watched Lee for him, but she’d just given him a long, odd look before saying no. Weird.

He knew now was just after Lee got off of work, so he figured he’d be heading back to the apartment he shared with his uncle sometime soon. The firebender didn’t seem to do much other than work and lay around at home. It made watching him pretty boring. 

Jet’s rooftop perch was too visible without the cover of darkness, so he was reduced to peaking down alleyways. Finally, he heard a girlish giggle coming from an alley nearby, and headed towards it.  _ Probably that girl that’s always making eyes at him in the teashop.  _ He thought to himself, shaking his head at the girl’s lack of taste. Sure enough, when Jet turned the corner, he saw Lee kissing some girl pressed against the building wall. Lee’s scar was visible, making him instantly recognizable, but his face was blocking the girl’s. Not that it mattered, just some dumb girl taken in the the firebender’s good looks. Jet rolled his eyes.  _ They’re barely a block from Lee’s building, they really couldn’t wait until they got there? _

Then Lee moved to kiss the girl’s neck, and Jet caught sight of her face- mouth slightly open in a sigh, eyes shut in contentment. His stomach felt like it had turned to stone and dropped.

_ “Katara _ ?!?” He couldn’t stop himself from crying out in shock. Her eyes flew open, and Lee jumped away from her, instantly glaring at Jet. Katara took a moment longer to react, and initially just looked astonished, but then her eyes hardened into chips of ice, her face a mask of fury. In one fluid movement she entered a bending stance and uncorked the waterskin she always had at her waist.

“Katara, I’ve changed!” Jet put his hands up as though to protect himself, but he was barely able to take a step back before the water in the pouch hit him full in the chest and face, knocking him into the wall behind him. She ran towards him, picking the water back up with her bending and holding it in a ball. Lee was half a step behind her, looking baffled.

“Tell it to some other girl Jet.” She spat before shooting the water at him again. This time she turned it into icicle daggers, but he managed to draw his swords and bat them away.

“I don’t want to fight you!” Jet told her earnestly. He pointed at Lee with one of his swords. “Besides, if there’s anyone here you should be attacking, it’s him! He’s a firebender!”

For a moment she looked stunned at the news, but then her face hardened again. 

“What are you talking about?” She whirled on Lee, but instead of hitting him with her water, she demanded: “ _ Jet  _ is the lunatic who has it out for you?” Jet bristled at being called a lunatic. Lee was scowling again, as usual.

“I wasn’t aware you two knew each other. He’s been after me since the ferry, since I won’t join his little group of thieves.” He didn’t ask how Katara knew Jet, he noticed. 

“I saw your uncle firebend!” Jet exclaimed, still pointing his hook sword at Lee. 

“You didn’t see shit!” Lee shot back. Jet turned his eyes to Katara.

“I saw his uncle heating his tea-”

“They work in a tea shop dumbass!” Katara shouted back, still holding a ball of water as though she were considering shooting at him again. Jet felt his face heat.

“Why are you  _ with  _ him?” His voice came out whinier than he meant it to. He had liked Katara, but he hadn’t been expecting to feel so jealous upon seeing her with someone else.  _ He also hadn’t been expecting to see her with someone else _ .

Katara looked taken aback by the question for a moment, but then her cheeks flushed and her brow furrowed.

“Because I  _ like  _ him.” Somehow, her glare intensified. “He isn’t a liar.” She said pointedly. 

“He  _ is _ !” Jet sighed, exasperated and ignoring her words. “I don’t know why no one will believe me!”

“Do you think security around Ba Sing Se is that lax? Do you think I’m that stupid?” She demanded angrily.

“Of course I don’t think you’re stupid Katara! I’m trying to protect you-”

“ _ Protect  _ me?! Do I _look_ like I need your help?” She took a deep breath and straightened.

“You fooled me once Jet. It’s not going to happen again.” She directed the water back into her pouch.

“Come on Lee, let’s go.” She glared at Jet. “And  _ you  _ had better leave us alone.” She stalked off in the direction of Lee’s apartment. Lee gave Jet another scowl before he left, but there was a satisfied look in the firebender’s eyes. 

“ _ Damn  _ it!” Jet cursed when they disappeared. Now he  _ really  _ needed to find evidence against Lee. He had to make things right with Katara.


	5. *struck a match and blew your mind

Zuko followed Katara out of the alleyway, feeling some emotional whiplash from what had just happened. One moment he had Katara in his arms, kissing him, and the next…  _ Why _ was Jet trying to ruin his new life? 

He swallowed and took in Katara’s pissed off expression. He’d never seen her aim that look at someone else, and while he was relieved, he’d be lying if he didn’t admit he was somewhat worried their encounter would make her mad at him too. After all, Jet  _ wasn’t  _ lying. He  _ was  _ a firebender. At least Katara knew that though. He wondered what Jet had lied to her about before. 

“So you and Jet, huh?” Zuko asked awkwardly to break the silence. Katara’s scowl deepened.

“It’s not any of your business.” She told him, tossing her hair.

“That’s true.” He agreed, doing his best to be amenable. They reached his door by then, and Katara crossed her arms, waiting for him to unlock it.  _ She’s still willing to hook up with me?  _ He was still definitely in the mood- being reminded of her power had actually gotten him even  _ more _ in the mood. It did make sense, the first time they had gotten together was after- during?- a fight. He guessed that’s what she was into too. Maybe it wouldn't be too bad if she was kinda mad at him...

Katara’s voice broke him out of his thoughts as she mounted the stairs ahead of him.

“We made out like, twice. To be fair, he was like, the third boy my age I’d actually met that I wasn't related to.”

Zuko snorted.

“The first two being Aang and me?” He asked when they reached the upstairs. Katara blinked up at him.

“Actually, I wasn’t counting Aang. It feels like he’s younger sometimes.” Something about the way Zuko had seen Aang looking at Katara made him pretty sure the Avatar wouldn’t like that assessment.

“So, was Jet your first kiss then?” He didn’t know why he was asking, but he couldn’t stop himself. He didn’t  _ want _ to know who else Katara had been with. Honestly, he just wanted her to himself.

Katara leaned against the doorjamb before answering.

“No actually, that was a boy named Haru. Boy number two that I met. Or three, counting Aang. What about you?” 

“A girl named Mai. She’s a friend of Azula’s.” He admitted, mirroring her and leaning against the hallway wall.

Katara’s mouth fell into a small “o” of surprise.

_ “The gloomy knife girl??”  _ She exclaimed. Zuko blinked, but then remembered that Katara had faced his sister and her friends too. The kiss had been so long ago, he hardly thought today’s Mai would be the same person she had been. He certainly wasn’t.

“Oh right, I forgot you’d met her. Stop looking at me like that, would you?” He bristled. He hadn’t judged  _ her  _ that obviously. Katara opened and shut her mouth wordlessly.

“I just- that took me by surprise!” 

“You liked  _ Jet! _ ”

“I had limited options!” She defended herself, her cheeks rosy, distracting him.  _ Spirits, she was attractive. _

“Thank you for defending me, by the way.” Zuko acknowledged, feeling slightly bad that he was teasing her so soon after she came to his defense. Even if she had only done so because she disliked Jet slightly more than she disliked Zuko, which he strongly suspected. “You didn’t have to do that.” Katara shrugged.

“No problem. I meant what I said, by the way.” Her cheeks darkened further, and she gave him a mischievous smile. “Anyways, I didn’t come over here to talk about our exes.” 

Before Zuko could fully process what she said, her lips were on his again, her hands fisted tightly in his shirt. 

“C’mere.” She murmured, pulling Zuko with her as she walked backwards into his room. He caressed her body, tracing the curve of her hip. He deepened the kiss, inhaling the scent of jasmine tea that lingered on her breath, feeling her soften and melt into him at his touch. He didn’t think he’d ever get tired of kissing her. 

Her hands explored his torso, pulling at his clothing in the way he’d come to learn meant she wanted him to take it off. When he complied, her cool hands traced the planes of his chest, and he shivered under her touch. 

Zuko bent his head to the juncture between her neck and her shoulder, biting lightly at the red mark he had started before they were interrupted. She’d left a similar mark on him the last time they were together, and he was eager to return the favor. 

Katara moaned when he nipped her, grinding her hips against his in a way that nearly took his breath away. She’d hardly touched him, and he was already so hard for her. He tugged at the ties of her dress, and in a moment it was in a pool at her feet, leaving her in just her bindings in front of him. 

Dazed, he kissed her again, struggling to blindly undo her chest binding as he did so. Giggling, she helped him, and he hungrily caressed her breast, swallowing the moan she let out when his thumb brushed against her hardened nipple. Her hands drifted down his torso, and he let out a gasp of his own when she grasped his cock through his pants. Zuko felt her smirk against his mouth before she broke the kiss, trailing her lips to his collarbone as she tugged at his pants with one hand, the other slowly moving up and down his cock. 

He stepped out of his pants and undergarments, shivering when he felt her hand against his bare skin. Then Katara sank to her knees in front of him, and his mind went blank. 

_ Holy fuck.  _ She licked up the length of his member and kissed the tip, which was already starting to leak pre-cum. Then she smiled up at him, her big blue eyes shining, and took him in her mouth. The sight of her beneath him with her lips wrapped around his cock was almost too much for him.

“ _ Fuck  _ Katara.” He murmured. She hummed around him, the feeling shooting tingles through his body. She had one hand wrapped around his length, stroking what she couldn’t fit in her mouth, but the other found his wrist, guiding him so his hand rested on her hair. He stroked her hair, pushing her hair loopies out of her face so that he could see her better, accidentally undoing one. If she noticed, she didn’t seem to care. Then she swallowed around his cock, and he let out a strangled moan. 

Using all of his inner strength, he gently pushed her off of him, his cock springing free from her mouth with a soft pop. A thin line of pre-cum and saliva dangled from her lips for a moment, and he was momentarily speechless.

“Spirits Katara, that feels amazing but you’re about to make me cum.” He managed to gasp out as she got to her feet, wiping her mouth on the back of her hand.

“That was kinda the point.” She teased, her eyes glinting and dark with desire. He smirked.

“Oh? I thought you liked when I fucked you.” She bit her lip, and Zuko reached for her, pulling her to him in a harsh kiss. He backed her up until her knees hit the back of the bed, and followed her down, caging her in with his arms as he hovered above her. 

He bent his head to nuzzle her breasts as she wriggled out of her undergarments. Zuko brought his hand to the apex of her thighs, gasping when he felt the slickness between her legs.

“Fuck you’re already so wet.” He groaned, inserting a finger into her. She moaned, her hands gripping his biceps. The sound went straight to his already painfully hard erection. He wanted nothing more than to bury himself in her.

“Because of you.” She gasped out, a hand going to the back of his head and guiding his lips back to hers. “You make me so wet Zuko.” He moaned into her mouth at the sound of his name falling from her lips, still swollen from being wrapped around his cock. He added another finger, thrusting into her wet heat, making a scissoring motion that made her cry out. He pressed his thumb to her clit, rubbing in a quick circular motion.

“I’m so close.” She gasped out. “I want to cum around your cock again.” Zuko cursed at the filthy words she spoke, and quickly lined himself up with her, sliding into her warmth. He kept his thumb on her clit as he thrust into her, and in a moment they had found their rhythm, meeting each other stroke for stroke. He bit his lip, struggling not to cum too soon. 

Her eyes met him, the brilliant blue slightly glassy with need, and he thrust harder than he meant to. Katara let out a loud moan.

“Oh  _ fuck _ just like that Zuko! That feels so good.” He repeated his action, fucking her roughly, and she loved it. Her hand was tight around his bicep, her fingernails biting into his skin, but he hardly noticed. He was lost in the look on her face, her plump lip caught between her teeth, the desperate look in her eyes.

And then she screwed her eyes tightly shut with a cry, and he felt her cunt clench around him. He let go, releasing into her as he continued his thrusts, losing speed with each one. Finally he finished, letting his forehead fall against hers. When he was functional enough to move again, he fell limply to the bed next to her, completely spent.

Katara’s chest heaved as she caught her breath again, but after a few moments she turned her face to him and grinned. His heart swelled, and he had an insane urge to put his arms around her and pull her to him. Somehow, that would feel more intimate than what they had just done. 

He never knew what to say afterwards, so he stayed silent, just enjoying the chance to take in her beauty. The more he got to know Katara, the more he wondered how he’d ever managed to fight against her. How was he not wrapped around her finger from day one?

Slowly he regained cognitive function, and remembered she had said something that struck him just before she kissed him.

_ “I meant what I said, by the way.”  _ Why had she seemed embarrassed by that? She said… His heart, which was just started to return to normal, stopped for a moment. She’d said she liked him. When Jet asked why she was with him, she told him she liked him. His heart started hammering. Should he say it back, tell her he liked her too? Was that too childish? He looked back at her, took in her swollen lips, her starry eyes. This time he didn’t stop himself from wrapping her in his arms. 

He heard her breath catch, and was prepared to release her, but then her arms came around him too. Her head rested on his chest, and he pressed a kiss to the top of her hair. He thought he might have felt her smile, but he couldn’t be sure.

They stayed like that for a while, silent, just enjoying each other’s company. Eventually, of course, she had to leave.

He wanted to ask if she wanted to go on a date, but he didn’t have the right words for it. Anything he could think to say sounded stupid, and the words turned to sand in his mouth. As she was about to walk out the door, he finally blurted.

“Can you come by the tea shop again? Soon?” Her smile made his heart swell, and she gave him a final kiss.

“Sure, I’ll see you again. Very soon.” She promised. And then she was gone.

Zuko floated on a cloud the rest of the evening. She like him. Katara actually _liked_ him. He couldn't imagine why, but did it matter? She liked him.

As he was going to bed that evening, a glint of blue on the floor caught his eye. He bent and picked up one of the little blue beads she always had in her hair. Swallowing hard, Zuko remembered _exactly_ when it must have fallen out, and how _exactly_ her mouth had been occupied when he had his hands buried in her hair.

As he put the bead on his nightstand, he already felt himself started to harden again at the memory. That girl was going to be the death of him.

* * *

Yet again, Katara floated home in a dreamlike state. Thankfully, she thought to look in a mirror before she got back, and managed to fix her hair and clothes so she didn’t look _quite_ so obviously ravished.

Even as she went through the motions of making dinner, her thoughts were never far from Zuko. His lips, hot on her skin. His arms, so muscular, wrapped tightly around her.

“Katara, where’s your hair bead?” Aang asked, pulling her out of her reverie at dinner.

“What?” Katara felt her head, and sure enough, only one bead was there. One of her hair loopies had come loose during the afternoons activities, and she vaguely remembered hot hands carding through her hair, and a vague click of bone on wood that she hadn’t paid attention to at the time. Her cheeks heated.

“Oh, uh, I don’t know. Maybe I only put one in this morning? I was distracted.”

“By what?” Aang prodded. Katara bit her lip, not knowing what to say.

“I don’t know. Some days I just… am distracted.” She finished lamely. “Doesn’t that ever happen to you?”

“I guess.” Aang didn’t sound convinced, but dropped it. “Hey guys, want to see this cool new airbending trick I came up with today? Toph inspired it.”

“I threw a boulder at him and he found a new way to dodge.” Toph informed them happily.

“Sure buddy! Let’s go out to the training yard.” Sokka suggested.

“I’ll be right out, let me just tidy up first.” Katara told them. Toph stayed back too as the boys ran outside.

“You’re lyingggg.” Toph sang gleefully when the two girls were alone. “Secret boyfriend?” Katara felt her entire face turn bright red.

“What? Me? Boyfriend? No.” She stammered. Toph snorted.

“If I were you, I’d act on my acting skills Sugar Queen. Don’t worry, I won’t blab.” Katara crossed her arms, ready to deny it for a moment, then:

“Thanks Toph.” The earthbender grinned and punched her in the arm.

“No problem."


	6. you'd get your knuckles bloody for me

Katara entered the teashop, and frowned when someone unfamiliar was behind the counter brewing tea. Glancing around, she didn’t see Zuko anywhere. That was… odd. She’d seen him once since their encounter with Jet, but it’d been well over a week since then. She felt bad, but she couldn’t slip away without raising suspicion.

 _Was he upset about that?_ She chewed her lip anxiously. _Maybe, but that wouldn’t explain why he and Iroh weren’t at work._ Katara sighed. Maybe she could look around the market for him? Starting with the tea stalls… She was about to leave when:

“Katara!” The eager voice calling her name was female, and she turned towards it, confused, only to see an Earth Kingdom girl waving at her eagerly. Before she could say anything, the girl continued.

“Hi! Lee isn’t here, but I have a note from him for you!” She procured a scroll out of her sleeve, and gestured for Katara to come over. Katara complied, and as she approached the girl’s image clicked. It was the one she had met the first time she stumbled into the tea shop. The one who had a crush on Zuko. Hmmph.

“Hi…” Katara trailed off, realizing she couldn’t remember the girl’s name. Had she ever learned it?

“Jin.” The girl said helpfully, gesturing to herself. “I was here when Lee and his uncle left- they have their own shop now, in the Upper Ring! Lee asked the guy that owns this shop to give you the letter, but he was being a big jerk about it. I think he’s mad that they’re leaving. Anyways, I offered to give it to you instead! And Mushi convinced him I was trustworthy. I think he was afraid I’d read it first, but I swear I didn’t.” Jin offered Katara the letter and she took it, noting the wax seal was intact.

“Thank you.” She murmured, almost as a second thought, too eager to read what he had to say. Her manners were abysmal. Katara unrolled the scroll eagerly to find a short note- what else could she expect really, from Zuko?

_Katara-_

_Uncle was offered a new tea shop, so we’re moving to the Upper Ring. I swear it has nothing to do with that stuff before, he’s just trying to make a life for us here. The tea shop is going to be called The Jasmine Dragon. I’m sure you can find it, if you want._

_-Z_

Katara smiled. Short and to the point. The Z was drawn in with an extra short top line, so it almost looked like it could be an L with a tail. _Clever of him._

But the “if you want”... did he think that she might be all done with him, and just disappear? What reason would she have for that? She felt another pang of guilt about how long it had been since she’d last been able to see him.

Jin asked her something, but Katara didn’t register it.

“What?” She asked, tearing her eyes away from the note to look up at the girl. She’d done her a favor after all, she was owed at least a modicum of respect.

“Why didn’t he just mail it to you?” Jin asked again. Not in an accusing way, just curious.

“Oh, he...” Katara trailed off, unsure of how to answer. It would be weird to say he didn’t know where she lived, right? “My family doesn’t know about us.” She decided. It was the truth. Well, Toph sort of knew, but not really.

Jin’s eyes sparkled with excitement. “A forbidden relationship? That’s _so_ romantic!” She rested her elbows on the table and her chin on her fists, looking at Katara eagerly. “Like Oma and Shu? Two lovers forbidden from each other?” Katara felt her cheeks turn bright red.

“I- uh- it’s not quite- my family is just overprotective.” She finally blurted. “So we figured it was best to just… keep it quiet. You know, until we’re… more sure. He and I, we’ve had some… arguments. Before. You know how it can be. Boys our age are just… so dumb sometimes.” Jin snorted at that.

“Well, that’s for sure. And Katara, just between us, I’m pretty sure Lee is ‘sure’ about you. Especially after last week.” Jin took a sip of her tea, as though she hadn’t just dropped a juicy little tidbit of information and left Katara wanting more. Katara narrowed her eyes. _Or was it on purpose?_

Regardless, Katara dropped into the seat across from Jin. “Last week?” She prompted.

“Oh, did he not tell you? Or have you just not seen him since then?” Jin looked genuinely surprised. _So she wasn’t faking nonchalance._

“We haven’t seen each other. It’s been hard to get away. What happened?” She tried not to sound too eager, but judging by the sparkle in Jin’s eye, failed miserably. Or the story was just _that_ good.

“Okay, so, a little over a week ago I was in here in the afternoon, as usual. The sun had just gone down, and that guy with the straw in his mouth came _bursting_ in, yelling about how Lee was a firebender.”

Katara gaped at her. Jet was back? Again? After she _explicitly_ threatened him? The _audacity_.

“Which like, how terrible! It’s pretty obvious that Lee’s scar came from firebenders. Clearly he had a traumatic past with them, how could that jerk throw it in his face?” She sighed and waved her own question off.

“Anyways, Lee didn’t seem too concerned about the guy- he deals with a _lot_ of annoying customers, and he’s pretty good at ignoring them- but then the jerk said he was tired of looking for proof, because he had to protect you. Once your name got brought up, Lee got really… I don’t know, intense? I guess that’s how I’d describe it.” She paused then, and gave Katara a sympathetic grimace. “The guy… said some things. About you and him. Something about how you were _his_ first, and you’d come running back to him.” She wrinkled her nose. "It was gross, like he thought he owned you or something."

Katara couldn’t scowled fiercely. What an absolute ass. How _dare_ he! As if she would want anything to do with him after everything he'd done.

“I don’t think anyone really believed him, if that makes you feel any better.” Katara must have made another face, because Jin quickly continued. “Not that it matters if you guys had been together! We’ve all been taken in by a pretty face before. I know I have.” She sighed, as if lost in her own memory for a moment.

“Anyways, once you came up, Lee got, like, really mad. He yelled at the guy not to talk about you like that, and the guy said Lee would have to make him stop, and then Lee grabbed these dual swords from this soldier that was in here!” Jin sighed dreamily. “It was so cool. They had this whole big duel, and the guy kept telling Lee to firebend, but of course he couldn’t, and he is _really_ good at fighting with dual swords!” Jin told her, clearly impressed. Katara was impressed too, and oddly felt a hint of pride, but more concerned about how the fight ended. Clearly Zuko won, but where was Jet now?

“And then what happened?” She prompted. Jin blinked.

“Oh, then the Dai Li showed up. The guy was telling them to arrest Lee and Mushi, but everyone defended them, and they ended up arresting him for attacking them. It was… kinda disturbing actually, how they dragged him away.” Jin added, almost as an afterthought. Katara tried to decide how she felt about that. The Dai Li were definitely sinister, but Jet deserved to be jailed. Right? _He’s dangerous._ Katara reminded herself. She was too sympathetic for her own good sometimes.

“Wow, I… wow. Thanks for telling me.” Katara smiled conspiratorally at her. “Something tells me that Lee would give me a much shorter version than you did.”

“Of course! I’m glad to give you the details!” Jin beamed at her. “You know, I used to have a crush on Lee, but seeing you guys together… you fit really well. I know you said you have kind of a history, but if you care anywhere near as much as he does, I think you can get past it. I’m certainly rooting for you!” Her smile faltered the slightest bit. “It’s too bad he moved. I would’ve liked to have gotten to know you better.” She told her. Katara gave her a small smile.

“Yeah, I think we could’ve been good friends. I barely have time even to see Lee though what with everything…” She tried to think of how to word it without giving herself away. Sure, Jin seemed trustworthy, but you never knew who else was listening. “Maybe we’ll be able to meet again some day. After… after everything.” Katara knew better than to mention the war, but judging by the knowing look in Jin’s eye, she knew exactly what she was talking about.

“That would be nice.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm bad at writing fight scenes and this is my way around it lol
> 
> also i realize that in their universe it would be different characters than Z and L but i only know the Latin alphabet so i'm sorry?


End file.
